


Unconditional Love

by alicecrow6



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Bad Parent Talia al Ghul, Damian Wayne Has Feelings, Dick Grayson is Damian Wayne’s Parent, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:40:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24567085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alicecrow6/pseuds/alicecrow6
Summary: “So Wayne, who are you going to write? Can't be your mom since she abandoned you and all. Don't tell me your gonna make a mom up,” everyone stopped what they were doing to watch. Even the teacher looked up, though he did nothing, the absolute asshole.“Don't be foolish, I do not need a mother, real or imaginary,” Damian said in a haughty tone of voice. The hand on his shoulder tightened.“Oh yeah? Then who are you writing for on mother’s day? Everyone knows this assignment is mandatory so fess up already,”  and Damian opened his mouth once again before he could stop himself.“I will be writing to Richard,” and then immediately regretted it. But it was too late, he had already told the entire class that he would be writing a mother’s day letter to Grayson and he couldn't take it back unless he wished to be branded a coward.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne
Comments: 44
Kudos: 819





	Unconditional Love

Damian stared down at the pinks, purples, reds, and whites that surrounded his desk and wondered if his teacher was an idiot. The rest of the children had already gotten started on their cards, precariously spilling glitter on their cards as they went. It was madness but Damian knew if he did not participate then his teacher would get angry and call his father. He’d rather not tell his father the reason he got in trouble again was because he didn't want to make a mother’s day card for a woman that put a bounty on his head.

He reached for blue that was hiding underneath the gaudy colors. It reminded him of a Nightwing blue. He brought it closer to himself and set it down on his desk. He grabbed a black marker and waited for inspiration to strike. He supposed he could write to an imaginary mother but that seemed terribly pathetic. Nonetheless, he didn't have a better idea.

He was just about to uncap his marker to go along with his idea when a hand landed on his shoulder. It took everything in him not to flip the person touching him to the ground but he managed.

“So Wayne, who are you going to write? Can't be your mom since she abandoned you and all. Don't tell me your gonna make a mom up,” everyone stopped what they were doing to watch. Even the teacher looked up, though he did nothing, the absolute asshole.

“Don't be foolish, I do not need a mother, real or imaginary,” Damian said in a haughty tone of voice. The hand on his shoulder tightened.

“Oh yeah? Then who are you writing for on mother’s day? Everyone knows this assignment is mandatory so fess up already,” and Damian opened his mouth once again before he could stop himself.

“I will be writing to Richard,” and then immediately regretted it. But it was too late, he had already told the entire class that he would be writing a mother’s day letter to Grayson and he couldn't take it back unless he wished to be branded a coward.

The teacher stood up quickly, walking towards the two of them.

“I’m afraid that's not possible Mr. Wayne. You'll need to find someone else to write to. Perhaps whoever your father is currently dating?” the teacher told him. Damian clenched his fists. How dare he! Grayson was a great mother (he wasn't really a mother but that was besides the point). 

“And why is that?” Damian asked pointedly. The teacher seemed to flounder for a moment before getting himself under control.

“Because he isn't your mother,” he stated it like it was obvious.

“Ah, but what defines a mother? Blood or absolute unconditional love? If you say blood then you deny the fact that adoptive mothers are mothers at all,” Damian was very aware of how hypocritical he was being right now but he refused to lose this argument, especially since Richard’s honor as a “mother” was on the line.

“Well, a mother is a woman,” the teacher tried to explain but Damian cut him off.

“Ah, so you're sexist,” Damian nodded decisively and even saw a few of his classmates do the same. His teacher clearly saw this as well because he quickly backed off. 

“You know what? Fine, write your letter to your brother. I'm sure he’ll be honored to know you think of him like that” he said sarcastically before turning around and moving to go sit back in his chair.

Damian scowled but decided he really didn't care about the opinion of a second rate educator.

He shook off the hand that was still attached to his shoulder and then uncapped his marker, at last, knowing exactly what he was going to write.

He also did a quick sketch of Nightwing on the back of the letter, coloring in the black parts with his marker. He then looked his teacher straight in the eye and poured blue glitter onto the drawing without blinking. No doubt unnerving the man.

AaAaAaAaAaAa

It had been two days since the whole mother’s day situation and Damian had yet to see Richard at all. Today was the day and he refused to do all that work only not to give Richard the card he had spent all afternoon on.

He told Alfred that he would be visiting Grayson and then took off. He was sure Batman could handle being without Robin for a night.

By the time he reached Bludhaven, it was turning dark. He walked to Richard’s apartment and knocked. He waited a few minutes before growing impatient and just unlocking the door himself.

He looked around and noticed that Richard was nowhere to be seen. He shrugged before sitting down on the couch and pulling out his phone.

Another two hours went by before a rattle of the door was heard. The door opened and a figure lumbered through it tiredly.

“Hello Richard,” Damian said to the man that had yet to notice him. He jumped up and spun around, eyes wild. His shoulders untensed though when he noticed it was just Damian.

“Hey Dami, I didn't know you were coming over. How long have you been here?” Dick asked, sitting down on the couch as Damian put his phone down.

“I’ve been here for a total of two hours,” Damian answered, grabbing a blue piece of paper from the table and holding it in his lap.

“Oh, I'm sorry. So, uh, what’s going on?” Dick tried to look down discreetly at the card but Damian’s hand obstructed the view.

“I'm here to deliver you my card,” Damian said as he finally held out his card in front of him.

“Your card?” Dick took the card from Damian’s hand and looked at it in utter bafflement.

He opened the card and saw in bold letters ‘Happy Mother’s Day’

He stared at the words incomprehensible for a few seconds, completely confused. He shook himself out of it and then started to read. He read it over once, then twice, then a third time just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. He looked up and saw Damian looking away, face red.

Dear Richard, Happy mother’s day. I am aware that you are not a woman and calling a man such a term is usually a way to feminize someone in a homosexual relationship in order to make them more like a heterosexual couple. This is, of course, wrong and even offensive unless the person himself agrees to be called such a title. So rest assured that I did not make you a mother’s day card for such a reason. 

When I had first started reading books I would read about characters with loving families, the most loving of them all usually being the mother. They were depicted as having unconditional love for their children. At first, I had thought Talia to fit this description rather nicely. Now though, knowing what I know, I can confidently say that she has lost all rights to that title. Even father would not survive under the lens of what makes a “mother”. I am quite aware that his love is entirely dependent on me following his rules. 

For a very long time, “mother” had represented an ideal that I thought to be unreachable. Unreachable, of course, until I meet you. You were patient with me in a way that my own father wasn't. You showered me in a type of care and love I was unused to receiving. Suddenly my ideal had changed. Suddenly the person that represented unconditional love was not “mother” but rather a real tangible person, you. You became the representation of unconditional love for me. 

So worry not, I didn’t write this letter to you because you are a mother, rather I wrote it because to me, you are better than a mother.

Dick felt like crying. What the fuck? He wasn't nearly prepared enough for the bomb that Damian had just dropped on him. What the fuck was he supposed to do?

As Dick freaked out Damian withdrew further and further into himself. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea after all. He was just about to get up and leave when Richard’s hand came around his shoulder and pushed him into the man.

Oh, if Richard was hugging him then surly everything was fine. Damian relaxed into Dick’s chest as Dick played with Damian’s hair.

Dick was thankful that he hadn't been so deep in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed Damian looking like he was about to leave.

Okay, so Damian basically told Dick that he loved him more than both his mother and father. That was fine, that was totally no big deal. His thoughts were once again interrupted however when he felt Damian slightly nuzzle into his chest.

Dick looked down and felt his heart melt. God, the kid was going to be the death of him.

“Thank you for telling me Dami,” Dick spoke softly into Damian’s hair. Damian hummed a little in reply. Dick laughed a little, Damian had decided to nope out of this conversation and Dick couldn't blame him. They would need to talk about this of course, but that didn't mean that they had to talk about it now. Dick wound his arms more securely around Damian and pushed everything around so they were both lying down, Damian safely held in his arms.

“I love you,” Dick whispered.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is dedicated to my sister, someone who is better then a mother to me.


End file.
